Is there not a more mainstream American band than Huey Lewis & the News? The San Francisco-based group had a lo-fi, laid-back vibe with a radio-friendly sound that resulted in a steady string of hit songs. Their classic rock style was the antithesis of the synth-heavy British New Wave bands like Duran Duran & the Eurythmics dominating the American music scene during the MTV era. Like their British counterparts, the band built an impressive catalog of fun and quirky music videos. The outfit’s clean-cut image exuded just the right amount of boy-next-door chemistry for the small screens of cable TV. And the clip for one of their signature songs, I Want a New Drug highlights the group’s hi-energy performance style and the handsome leading man looks of frontman Huey Lewis.
In 1983 Huey Lewis & the News released their most successful and best-selling LP, Sports. The album stayed at the top of the charts for 160 weeks and spawned four top ten hits, including Heart & Soul and The Heart of Rock & Roll. The album’s second single, I Want a New Drug, was released in January 1984, and the splashy music video resulted in heavy rotation on MTV, sending the song to the top of the charts.
The music video was directed by David Rathod and features Lewis waking up in his boxers, trying to shake off a bad hangover. There are several shots of Lewis lip-synching to the song as his face is submerged in ice water, helping create a staple that would be used in many other videos. Lewis finally gets dressed, Miami Vice style, and rushes to catch a ferry with the San Francisco skyline in the distance. The Lewis hangover scenes are interspersed with the band playing the song in concert, donning cool-bro sunglasses. It culminates with Lewis rushing on stage, leading the band in front of a packed auditorium, and even finding time to flirt with a cute blonde in the front row. Sadly, he doesn’t pull her up on stage Courtney Cox style, a la Springsteen’s Dancing in the Dark video released later that year.
Huey Lewis & the News would become one of the more populist rock bands during the MTV era, with a rich musical legacy lasting until the 1990s. Lead singer Lewis burned such charisma in the group’s music videos that he dipped his toe into the acting world. He made a memorable cameo as a nerdy band judge in the 80’s classic Back to the Future. In 1993 he was part of the huge ensemble in Robert Altman’s sprawling Short Cuts based on the writings of Raymond Carver. But Lewis’s most substantial acting role was in Duets, released in 2000, where he memorably sings Cruisin Together with co-star Gwyneth Paltrow. Lewis made for an attractive leading man with an amiable screen presence, but his focus was always on making music with his band.
Please check out the video below and let me know your thoughts in the comments section.
Huey and his band certainly owned the radio and airwaves alike for a while, and I specifically recall when Back To The Future came out it seemed like they and their music was everywhere. I did not see Duets, but knowing he’s in it has me curious to check it out.
It’s interesting, but “I Want a New Drug” was the only Huey Lewis song that really made an impression on me. As I’ve grown older, I certainly gravitated to the band in recent years. From what I remember, Huey wasn’t a bad actor, but like you, I’ve yet to see Duets.